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charmon1@cord.edu
CENTENNIAL LECTURE AT CONCORDIA
Liberalizing effects of political engagement
Moorhead, Minn. – Dr. Eric R. Schmidt, a political science teaching fellow at Concordia College, will present a Centennial Scholars Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 23, in Jones A/B, Knutson Campus Center. The lecture, “A Silver Lining for Democracy? Cross-Pressured Republicans and the Liberalizing Effects of Political Engagement,” is based on co-authored research with Lucas Eyler ’24.
In his lecture, Schmidt will examine an under-explored paradox of contemporary American politics: despite the dangers that Donald Trump continues to pose to representative government, there is minimal evidence that the United States is on the brink of either civil war or protracted civil conflict. Using nationally representative data spanning all four years of the Trump presidency, Schmidt and Eyler find strong support for their proposed explanation: when Republican identifiers are politically engaged, they are cross-pressured – between the illiberal appeal of Donald Trump and the liberalizing effects of political engagement.
The lecture is free and open to the public. All are welcome. Refreshments will be served.
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